


Opposing Hearts

by Sunhat_Leafeon



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Character Death, F/M, Female Friendship, Fights, Forbidden Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Romance, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:59:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23359645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunhat_Leafeon/pseuds/Sunhat_Leafeon
Summary: Having everything someone else could want doesn't mean you have everything you want. Roni knows this fact all too well. One day, he gets an opportunity to change everything.





	1. Opportunity

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, as well as any and all criticism with them, are encouraged!

An umbreon strode down the flight of marble stairs confidently, his soft paw pads cushioning and quieting each impact with the floor.

His long, red cloak trailed behind him elegantly. It wasn't just stylish; This simple article of clothing was a symbol of power, wealth, and influence.

He gazed upon the numerous portraits of him and his family adorning the marble wall, all lavishly framed in solid gold.

As the umbreon made it to the landing, he heard a voice.

"Roni, dear, breakfast is ready!" called the voice. He caught a glimpse of a beaming flareon as it ducked back into the dining room.

"Coming, mother..." the dark type replied, forcing on a smile.

Roni walked through the large, luxurious living room, and into the dining room. The aforementioned dining room could only be described as grand.

It was absolutely massive. Purple drapes lined the windows, a long red carpet extended down through the kitchen, and a diamond chandelier hung above a table large enough to easily fit twenty pokémon.

The table, of course, had breakfast laid out on it.

A freshly baked loaf of bread, a large pot of vegetable stew, a large roast, and four diamond chalices; three filled with wine and one with apple juice.

Already at the table awaiting his arrival was his family. The flareon from before, his father who was an umbreon like him, and his little sister who had still yet to evolve.

He sat down at one end of the table, next to his sister, as his mother finished setting the plates to deliver the extravagant meal.

He nodded in thanks, forcing a smile. A fake smile.

Not to say he was ungrateful, of course. He appreciated everything about his family, everything he had, and everything done for him every day!

Roni, by all accounts, had everything in life. He had a large home, sufficient funds to support his family for generations, always had more than enough food on the table, and he hadn't had to work for a single thing in his life.

Yes, he had everything he could ever want in life. Everything, of course, except for two little details.

"Looks great honey, just like the one who prepared it!" his father said with a smile, nudging the flareon beside him.

The fire type giggled loudly.

"Oh, you flatterer you!" she leaned over, planting a kiss on his lips.

One of the things Roni didn't have was romance.

He didn't have a partner to call his own. He didn't have someone he could come home and be happy to see every day. He didn't have someone he could hold, kiss, and pronounce his love to every morning, day, and night.

The umbreon longed for the day he'd feel the embrace of a woman he truly loved, and for the happiness he'd feel each and every second knowing that his love was out there, somewhere, whether she was nearby in the moment or awaiting in his heart.

"Ma'!" his sister cried out, "you're going out on another voyage today, right? To explore new lands?"

"Yes, deary," the flareon responded with a smile. "Supposedly, this new continent is rich in copper! We're going to be the second exploration team."

The second thing Roni didn't have was excitement.

Oh, how he craved adventure. Each and every day, he awaited that fateful moment when he'd be called off to face some threat; maybe a dragon was threatening the village, and he'd be the only one that could slay it! Or... something along those lines, anyway.

Every day of Roni's life was the same. He woke up, ate, made himself presentable, went out and talked to the locals for a while, came home, ate again, went to bed. It was monotony in its purest form, and never anything else.

You could say that, in a way, he was jealous of the common folk. They had to fight to survive every day. There was always a new problem presented that they would have to go out and deal with.

For Roni? Well, problems weren't exactly problems when you were rich.

Out of food? Buy some. Something's broken? Pay someone to fix it. Need textbooks for school? Oh boy, gotta shill out a couple hundred coins?! That's barely a dent in the fortunes. Leg is broken? Pay a doctor a few thousand, that's fixed in a heartbeat, and still got a couple million coins to spare!

Every single problem could be solved by throwing money at it.

These thoughts filled his head every waking second of every day, distracting him from the word. This was no different.

Roni had hardly even noticed that he had finished his plate until his mother had said something.

"Did you enjoy your meal, Roni?"

"Oh, what? Oh! Yes, ma'. It was great, as usual!" he responded with a nod. His mother beamed in pride. "I'm ready to head out for the day."

"Of course! Have fun, sweetie." The flareon walked over and kissed his cheek.

Roni nodded with a smile, before excusing himself from the table.

His thoughts weighed heavily on his shoulders as he trekked back up the stairs to his room. The stairs seemed to grow more in more in challenge to climb, until the last step was almost impossible. He trudged over into his room, to make himself presentable for the day ahead.

* * *

Roni opened the large wooden door to his residence with practiced ease, striding out into the late-morning sunlight.

He crossed the large stone bridge going over the stream near his house, beginning the walk to the village proper.

It was a nice day, bright and sunny.

As Roni walked, the sounds of the village slowly grew in volume.

Idle conversation, children playing, the occasional street musician. All of these familiar sounds made their presence known to the umbreon.

He was glad pokémon talked to each other, glad children had fun, and enjoyed the music, but these were all sounds he had heard countless times before, and would countless times again.

He found his view of everything growing increasingly pessimistic by the day, and it made him feel bad. He felt guilty.

" _Why should I be unhappy? What right do I have to complain, when so many others will never achieve anything close to what I have? I have everything."_ Those were the thoughts that plagued his mind day-in, day-out.

Roni glanced around town, looking for anything new, anything interesting. As usual, no. Everything was exactly the same.

Except for one thing, that was.

Groups of pokémon dressed head to paw in shiny, silver colored armor patrolled around, occasionally stopping to talk to other pokémon.

Roni took a seat on a wooden bench, simply observing the strange occurrence in silence.

That was, of course, until one of them walked over to him.

It was an arcanine, decked out in a full suit of armor.

"Greetings, umbreon," said the pokémon.

"Uhm... Hi?"

"How old are you?"

Roni stared down the fire-type curiously. They seemed trustworthy enough, he supposed.

"Twenty-two."

"That's perfect!"

"Perfect? For what?"

The arcanine sat down on the bench next to Roni.

"See, I bet you've noticed all the knights roaming town..."

" _Oh, so that's what they were..."_ Roni paused for a moment. "Yeah, I noticed. What are you all doing here?"

"See, we're in town recruiting today. We're a bit short on personnel back at the castle, and not many pokémon seem to be signing up. So we figured we'd come out and generate a bit more interest, ya' know?"

Roni nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, that makes sense... Are you implying that I'd make a good fit?"

"Certainly, my boy! You seem young, fit, and level-headed. Those are three traits that make a great knight! Though, I understand if you don't want to leave."

"N-no! This seems like a great opportunity, sir. I'll consider it."

The arcanine laughed heartily.

"Sir? My boy, just call me Alfa! What's your name, while we're on that subject?"

"Roni."

"A great name indeed! Anyhow, I have more pokémon to talk to. Take this flyer, and I'll be on my way!" Alfa slid a sheet of parchment to Roni, then went and walked away.

Roni picked up the flyer, looking at it carefully.

It had basic information on it.

" _Yadda-yadda, leave my home for extended periods, may be dangerous, will involve lots of training... Ahah! To sign up, bring this flyer to the castle in Redlog Village on 5/7..."_ He looked up, smiling. " _This is perfect! I'll finally get my excitement in my life! I have a week to say bye to my family before I need to go sign up as well!"_

With newfound determination, Roni hopped up and began to skip back home.

* * *

"Ma', pa'!" Roni called, bursting through the door to his parents' bedroom. "Guess what?"

The two pokémon in question looked up, startled, and surprised at their son's newfound energy. They smiled anyway, happy that their son was happy.

His father was the first to speak.

"What... What is it, Roni?"

"I'm going to become a knight!"

The smiles on their faces faltered slightly. Roni's was still plastered on, unwavering.

"Haha... Funny!" his mother said, laughing slightly.

"Ma', I'm serious!"

The flareon frowned.

"Son... That's a bit dangerous... You know I couldn't get over it if anything ever happened to you, right...?"

His father finally spoke up.

"Yes, that's dangerous work. Shouldn't you go for a career that's a bit more... safe?"

Roni's smile only brightened.

"That's exactly the point, though! I want to do it because it's unsafe! I finally have an opportunity for excitement in my life. Can't you see this is what I need?"

His mother sighed, looking at him with worry.

"Son... We won't try to stop you if this is what you really want to do... But, I urge you to reconsider."

"This is what I want, ma'! I know it!" Roni giggled happily, bounding out of the room.

His mother and father looked at each other worriedly.

* * *

Roni figured that packing early would be the best option! So what if he still had a few days? Being early to prepare never hurt anyone!

" _Let's see... A bit of food, some money, parchment, ink, quil, and a portrait of my family... That's everything!"_ he thought with excitement.

Tossing his bag next to the door, he walked over to his bed, flopping back onto it.

He stared up at the ceiling, pure bliss filling his body. His moment to himself was interrupted, however, as a loud knocking came at his door.

"Come in!"

His little sister opened the door and walked in. She bounded over excitedly, landing on her brother's chest.

"Big bro! Big bro! Is it true that you're becoming a knight?! I heard you talkin' to ma' n' pa'!" She was smiling brightly, her little fluffy tail wagging in excitement.

"I am, sis! Isn't it great?" he leaned up, giving the eevee a tight hug. She purred softly, returning it.

"I'm so happy for you, bro! That's like, totally awesome!"

The two shared a long embrace, enjoying each other's company.

"Thanks, sissy. It means a lot! Tell ya' what; behave while I'm gone, and I'll bring you back a little somethin'."

Her eyes lit up like stars in the night, as she let out a small gasp.

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"You bet!" Roni threw in a wink, yellow rings glowing faintly.

"Ohmigosh! I love you so much!" she squeezed him even tighter, which he gladly returned. "Well, that's all I wanted to know. See you later, bro!"

"See ya'."

The eevee hopped off from him, excitedly bounding out of the room, shutting the door on her way out.

Roni smiled to himself, looking around said room.

It was large, but more modestly decorated than the rest of the house. A few paintings of his family, and a couple school awards up on the wall.

" _Ah... I'm gonna miss this place... My whole life I've always been able to retreat here whenever I needed... But now, I'm going to be in an unfamiliar location..."_

This revelation saddened him a little, but did little to chip at his resolve. Nothing was gonna ruin this for him, not even a bit of homesickness!

* * *

Three sharp knocks on the door aroused the sylveon from her slumber. Accompanying those knocks was a command.

"Princess K'tora, wake up! We have a busy day today!" came the shrill voice, causing the sylveon to cover her ears.

"Ah... Shut up! I'll be out in a few minutes!" K'tora shouted in reply. She rubbed her eyes with her ribbons, before groggily stumbling up.

"We don't have a few minutes! You must begin your travels as soon as possible! The trip is already going to take several days!" came the shrill voice once more, slowly grating on K'tora's ears.

"The negotiations won't suffer from a few extra minutes of wait!"

A muffled huff was heard, and footsteps signaled the obnoxious nuisance's retreat.

K'tora smiled at her small victory. She hopped off from her bed, using one ribbon to pick up her crown and another to hold up her mirror.

" _Fur looks... fine... crown time!"_ She plopped on the golden ordinate, smiling in satisfaction.

With that, she walked out of the room and into the hallway. The princess pranced down the long corridor happily, stained glass tinting her fur various colors as she passed.

It was several minutes, several flights of stairs, and several more hallways until she made it to the throne room.

A liepard sat on the throne. The liepard was the king, and K'tora's father.

The sylveon curtsied in front of the liepard.

"I have arrived, my lord," she proclaimed dramatically.

"No need for courtesy, K'tora." the king reassured, holding back a chuckle.

"Of course." She smiled, standing back up and looking up to her father.

"Now, you need to take everything completely seriously. These negotiations are important. If you mess up, it could be the catalyst to war. Do you understand, my daughter?"

"Yes, I get it."

"Now, just remember these simple terms. We'll provide them plenty of food to survive the winter, given they don't invade our land to expand their farms."

"Yes, father."

"Now, be polite about it. We don't want to upset them. But, whatever you do, do not budge from our agreement. Do not offer them more than I have stated, and do not accept less than we request. Understood?"

"I understand."

The king smiled, leaning down and patting his daughter.

"Good. Your chariot should be arriving shortly. Advisor Go'k will escort you."

K'tora let out a small purr, nodding.

"Yes, father."

"Goodbye, K'tora. Please stay safe on your trip."

"Goodbye, father. I will."

With that, the sylveon turned around and strode out of the throne room. She walked slowly outside to her chariot, where Go'k was waiting.

"About time!" chided the chatot. "We're going to be late!"

"Shut up, I'm coming!"

K'tora climbed in, Go'k following.

"Do not tell me to shut up, young lady. You need to learn some respect!"

"I'll respect you when you act respectable, Go'k."

The chatot huffed loudly, taking a seat next to the sylveon.

"Whatever." Go'k then leaned forward, shouting. "We're ready to go! Get a move on!"

The ponyta that were pulling gave firm nods, taking off down the dirt road.

K'tora sighed, relaxing. She finally had some peace and quiet, aside from the clopping of hooves.

She took this opportunity to think for a while.

Finally, she'd be out of the castle! As much as she loved being a princess and she loved her father, the stress involved got to be a bit much sometimes.

She always had to look perfect. She always had to act perfect. She always had to talk perfect. It was a burden, and weighed down on her constantly.

" _Surely,"_ K'tora thought, " _one little vacation couldn't hurt? The kingdom can go without a princess for a few days."_

She rested her chin on her paws, which were propped up on the side of the wagon. She watched the scenery passing curiously, taking in every little detail.

"K'tora, posture!" Go'k snapped, glaring at the sylveon.

Groaning loudly, the fairy type sat upright, straight.

"It's not like anyone's even watching..."

"You need to do it constantly so you don't ever slip up!"

"Whatever... Just, please shut up..."


	2. On to Fame and Glory

The days leading up to Roni's departure were uneventful as usual, yet he was filled with renewed vigor. There was a palpable excitement in the air around him, not at all deterred by the unease of his parents.

Unfortunately, he was the only one home on the day he had left, so he never got the chance to say goodbye. Roni set off early in the morning.

As Roni's several-day walk had finally come to an end, he stared in awe at the village of Redlog. The place was bustling with life all over, putting his hometown of New Garden to shame in sheer numbers alone. There were various others milling about their business. Shops, conversation, food, travelers, and pokémon of all walks of life filled the streets in droves.

Various scents, sounds, and sights all mixed together to create an entirely unique feeling, completely new to the naive umbreon.

Lining the streets were several small houses in a similar fashion to most of New Garden, all surrounding a large hill. The closer one got to the hill, the grander the structures and regal the pokémon. It all culminated in one building. It was the centerpiece of not just the town, but the entire kingdom.

Redlog Castle.

The large, imposing fortress of stone brick and red wood pierced high into the sky, leaving no question to its importance. It was a symbol of the king's power, the land's wealth, the people's dedication, and...

 _"And it's a symbol of my future."_ Roni smiled to himself giddily at that thought, making quiet squeals as he pranced in place. A few bystanders noticed his sudden odd behavior.

They all smiled at him, one even walking over. It was a young maiden, a gardevoir.

She knelt down until she was near eye level, smiling warmly at Roni.

"Hello there, my friend. What's got you in such a jolly mood, if I may pry?" she asked, her curiosity made sincere by the warm tones she spoke.

"O-oh, uh..." Roni stuttered a bit, trying to find his words. "I uh... Well... If I'm lucky, I have a future as a knight ahead of me..." He tried to match the gardevoir's admittedly infectious smile.

She giggled in response, resting a hand on his head.

"Luck has got nothing to do with it, my friend. Your wit and skill will carry you through to victory."

"You... really mean that?"

"Of course. You can be read like an open book, and what I see in you is potential. A bit of fear, but nothing unhealthy."

Roni smiled even brighter.

"Thank y-you... for the kind words... What's your name?"

"I'm Varily. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can become great friends, Roni."

The umbreon backed up, shock taking his face.

"You... My name..."

"Psychic-type, silly!" Varily stood back to her full height, now towering over Roni. "Until we meet again." She gave a polite nod, which Roni returned. The two turned their separate ways and walked off.

 _"Wow!"_ Roni thought, _"My first interaction here went flawlessly! Everyone here seems so nice..."_

Roni bounded happily down the streets, not stopping until he arrived at the castle gates.

* * *

Alfa sat bored at the reception desk, sighing to himself as he went through more paperwork.

em"Only one new recruit, so far... Unfortunate..."/em

The arcanine thunked his large paws on the desk repeatedly, in a slow methodical motion to pass the time.

He eyed the door, desperately hoping someone would walk in. While preferred, It didn't even have to be a new recruit. Just anyone to talk to would do.

His wish was soon granted, as the door creaked open. A familiar umbreon walked in from the main room of the castle, and up to the desk.

"Hey, Roni! You made it!" Alfa cheered. "So, you decided to come join us after all, yeah?"

Roni's slight bit of shyness was swiftly kicked out by a boot of enthusiasm.

"You bet I did! I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this!" He took his flyer out of his back, sliding it across the desk.

"Good, good. Just sign your name on it."

Roni quickly grabbed a quill, doing as asked without hesitation.

"And, done! Am I a knight now?"

Alfa let out a hearty laugh.

"Not yet, kiddo! You still have to train to be fully accepted!"

Roni's ears splayed back, his ego slightly deflated.

"Oh... Yeah... That does make sense..."

"Don't worry about it, Roni! I have complete faith in you. Where are you gonna be staying while you're here?"

Roni's energy quickly returned to him, renewed by Alfa's assuring words.

"Oh! Uh..." He twiddled his paws timidly, avoiding eye contact. "I don't exactly have a place to stay..."

"Given you're okay with having a roommate, you can stay at the castle barracks."

"Yes! Yes. That would be perfect."

"It's settled, then. You'll be in block D, room three. Looks like you're sharing a room with the only new recruit so far today."

Roni stared up incredulously.

"Only...? I would have expected at least fifteen..."

"Less and less people have been enthusiastic about the chivalry and glory of knighting these days."

"Oh... That's unfortunate... Well, what's the other recruit like?"

Alfa put on an amused smirk, staring into space with a chuckle.

"She's certainly not boring, that's for sure. You'll like her."

"Great! I'm sick of boring."

* * *

Roni cautiously peered into the room that he'd be staying in for the foreseeable future.

It was small. It had a bed, a desk, a full bag on said desk, and no windows. It was lit only by candles up in holders on the walls.

There was a noticeable lump under the blanket on the bed, coming to Roni's attention as he shut the door.

The umbreon slowly stalked over to the bed, and gently poked the lump. It shifted, and the bottom of the blanket lifted up slightly. An orange snout poked out.

"Whossat?" came a scratchy voice, as its nose began to twitch.

"Uhh... Hi...? I'm Roni... We're roommates I think..."

The covers were suddenly thrown off, causing Roni to back up in surprise. A nickit sat there staring at him in awe.

"Ohmigosh!" she exclaimed squishing her cheeks together. "They didn't tell me I got to have a roomie!" She then put a paw to her chin, putting on an exxagerated thoughtful expression. "No, wait! Yes they did! Hehe, nice to meet ya', Roni!" she extended her paw out, grinning ear to ear.

Hesitantly, Roni reached out and grabbed the paw, receiving a vigorous and firm shake. It was mildly uncomfortable.

"Uhh... Yeah... What's your name?"

"How rude! Don't you know you're never supposed to ask a lady her name?"

Roni's ears spayed back in shame. "Uhh... I'm-"

"Just kidding, that's age! I'm Soot! Twenty years old!" She resumed her previous thoughtful expression, accidentally sending Roni faceplanting into the floor in the process. "Actually, what is it rude to ask a lady her age anyway? That makes no sense to me... Let's just pretend it's perfectly acceptable! What's your age? Ohhh, wait, better question! What's your name, Roni?"

The umbreon picked his face up from the ground, staring at the fox in front of him. He croaked out an incomprehensible response, the bombardment of questions making him anxious.

"Oh, wait! I just said it! Hehe, stupid question, right?"

"...Maybe."

"Are you calling me stupid now?!"

Roni's ears splayed back further, as he whined.

"Oh, don't worry Roni-Roni-Rigatoni! I'm just joshin' ya'. But... Who's Josh...?"

Roni whined more, covering his face, low to the ground.

Soot seemed to finally notice the umbreon's discomfort, blushing in embarrassment.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Ronikins! I got trouble keeping my mouth shut sometimes, y'know?"

Roni just nodded in response.

"Tell ya' what, hop up here and take a nap with me! I don't know about you, but my journey here was loooooooooong."

Roni blinked, peaking out.

"W-with you?"

"Do you see another bed?"

After not moving for a moment, Roni hesitantly climbed into bed and under the covers. He faced the wall, practically making out with it. The nickit cuddled him from behind, wrapping her large tail around him.

* * *

"Bored." Thunk. "Bored." Thunk. "Bored." Thunk.

"Princess K'tora, I demand you stop that incessant racket right now!" G'ok commanded, swiping the ball of rubber bands the sylveon had been bouncing against the wall of the transport.

"Uuughhhhhhh... You're one to talk, you know that?"

The chatot puffed her feathers out indignantly.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean, your highness?"

"It means you talk too much."

"I do n-"

"Shut up."

"B-"

"Please! You aren't helping."

G'ok quieted down, sighing in defeat.

The bumpy ride of the carriage slowly came to a halt at sunset, as a small town approached in the distance.

"Okay, we're here, K'tora. Now we just take a week's train ride and we'll be at Redlog in no time..."

"Can't it wait until the morning? I'm tired from doing nothing all day."

"Fine."

The two disembarked their transport, looking around the small town. It was out in the middle of a desert and spread very thin. The princess and her advisor walked into an inn.

The desk worker was surprised.

"P-princess K'tora?" the mincinno questioned in disbelief. "What brings royalty to my fine establishment...?"

"Jost Tor is fine." K'tora tossed a pouch full of solid gold coins onto the desk.

The mincinno's eyes widened. He had never seen so much money in one place before.

"Keep the change," K'tora added, walking upstairs to a room with G'ok following behind.

"Your highness with all due respect, it was highly irresponsible to give away that much money!" the chatot chided. "You clearly have no understanding of fina-"

"Can it, featherbrain."

K'tora dove under the covers, tuning out the rest of the noise.


	3. Introspection

Roni laid in bed at three in the morning still wide awake. He stared at the wall in the darkness of the room, hardly able to see anything even in the darkness.

A feeling of melancholy had slowly crept into the forefront of his consciousness as he laid there thinking. Just thinking for once, and nothing else.

Numerous thoughts crossed the dark-type's mind. Things he's both long ignored and never considered.

With a heavy sigh and a heavier heart, he stealthily shuffled around the nickit sleeping silently next to him, walking over to the desk in the corner of the room.

" _Maybe if I record my thoughts, it could help me come to grips with them..."_

Roni opened his bag. Inside stored both things he had brought, and new items he'd purchased in the single day he had spent in Redlog so far.

He pulled out a few simple trinkets.

Journal, quill, ink jar, candle.

After a brief struggle to get the candle lit, he dabbed the quill in the ink, preparing to turn his thoughts into words.

" _ **Entry 1**_

_Was it really worth it...?_

_I simultaneously had both very little in life, yet a lot at the same time. I've spent the past few years thinking so much about what I don't have, not focusing on what I do._

_...Or rather, what I_ did _..._

_I love my family more than anything. More than the stars in the sky, the king that we worship, the lands that we live, and the fortunes we've amassed._

_Yet, despite that love, I left them on a whim. Barely a week's notice, and suddenly I'm just gone without even saying goodbye._

_I've been so caught up in what I crave that I haven't been thinking about what I have, and the role I play._

_I do not yet know if I've made a mistake. In the end, am I truly doing the right thing?_

_Is it selfish of me to go out and try for self improvement, or would it be cowardly to stay home and never try anything new?_

_I don't think it's selfish. After all, I was given the gift of life, so I may as well take full advantage! But, in that case... Why does it hurt so much?_

_I find myself recalling long overlooked memories that I've chosen to ignore in favor of self-loathing._

_One particular memory strikes a warm chord with the harp of my heart, resonating bittersweet._

_It was a late night. I was awake at that time, as usual, despite knowing it would make school the next day more difficult._

_My long, brown ears were flowing in the wind as I stood on the balcony, overlooking the moonlight-bathed landscape._

_My gaze turned up to the beautiful night sky. The moon shone soft, the stars around it shimmering in a slow dance._

_I always felt ashamed as I did so._

_My whole life, I'd been taught that kids were meant to enjoy the day, run around and have fun together. It was normal, it was expected._

_I didn't enjoy those things as much as I thought I should._

_I more enjoyed the serene silence of the night, broken only by the calls of small bugs and the like._

_I more enjoyed the seclusion, alone only with my thoughts._

_I felt like I was wrong. I wasn't supposed to feel that way, but..._

_What else was there to feel, other than what I did...?_

_It was that night in particular that my father had found me out there. He'd walked out to the balcony, only to find me during my night-time ritual._

" _Hey, kid. What brings you out here this fine night?" he asked, sitting next to me with a warm smile._

_My reply came in the form of a fib._

_Or, rather the truth just with omission of information._

" _I just had trouble sleeping..."_

_He looked down at me skeptically, a bit of worry peeking out of his ever-resilient smile._

" _Oh yeah?"_

" _Yeah..."_

_He wrapped a foreleg around me, pulling me into a tight hug. I returned it hesitantly._

_He must have felt my stiffness, as he pointed it out almost immediately afterward._

" _Hey... Is something the matter, Roni? You seem on edge."_

_I looked up, only to find the kind reassurance characteristic of his eyes. They held no suspicion, no judgement. Only the will to listen._

" _Dad... I feel... I feel like I don't belong. Like I'm different." My response came out meek, confidence not found in my voice._

" _You seem pretty normal to me. Aside from your unique qualities, of course. Everyone has a few." His words of encouragement did little to sway my pessimism._

" _It's just... I like the night more than the day... I like sitting out here in the dark more than talking to others..." I looked back to the ground, not making eye contact. "It's... Not normal. Everyone says so."_

_My dad let out a small chuckle, surprising me a bit._

" _Oh, is that all? Don't worry about what they say, kid. The night is equally as beautiful as the day, and it's perfectly reasonable for anyone to appreciate it. And if you don't enjoy hanging around other kids, why should you?"_

_It was those few words of advice that finally put me at ease. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off my back._

" _That's actually very reasonable... Why hadn't I thought of that?"_

_My dad and I spent a few more minutes talking before he wished me goodnight, walking back inside._

_I sat out on the balcony, appreciation of the landscape in front of me amplified._

_Without my fears getting to me, I was able to come to terms with my differences, fully embracing them._

_It was on that night that I evolved into an umbreon._

_This memory brews a mixture of fondness and regret inside me._

_I find myself here, near a decade later, feeling the exact same I did on that night so long ago._

_I feel wrong, like I'm making a bad choice. I feel scared that I'll be judged for my actions, and how I feel. But, there remains one key difference._

_Here in Redwood Village, I don't have a father to guide me. I don't have a father to put me at ease. I don't have a father to help me know if I'm right or wrong._

_I sit here with only my own thoughts, unsure if I'm feeling how I should be. Unsure if I've made the right choice._

_I have no one to help me._

_I miss my dad... He always knew exactly what to say..._

_It's probably best that I get some sleep, now. While I'm a nocturnal creature, I'm gonna have to adjust my schedule around the day-faring pokémon that make up the majority of the village._

_After all, I can't stay up all night when training is in the day."_

* * *

The morning announced itself through the abrupt sound of brass horns blaring throughout the castle.

Roni and Soot woke with a start; the former hitting his head against the wall and the latter falliing out of bed.

Roni let out a long sigh as he rubbed his temple.

"That was... Unpleasant."

The floor-laden nickit let out a snicker.

"Couldn'ta' said it better myself!" Soot slowly pushed herself back to her paws, a joyous mood dominating her features.

Roni hopped out of bed. Simultaneously, he attempted to rub the sleep out of his eyes with his forepaws. This proved to be an unwise decision as the off-balance umbreon tumbled to the floor.

Soot opened her mouth to quip but found herself interrupted by noise from outside.

Three loud, sharp knocks.

Both occupants of the room had their attention stirred, piqued, and brought to the door in a matter of seconds.

Roni made to move for the door, but halted in his tracks as Soot shot up and ran for it.

"I got it! I got it!"

The nicket leaped toward the handle. Her aim was less than desirable as her head thunked into the wall with an unpleasant crack. The pokémon slumped to the ground.

Roni flinched, gazing on in horror. Said horror was replaced with relief as the giggling nicket stood back up.

"Soot!" Roni chided, "Be more careful!"

"What do you mean? I am! I care about a lot of things!"

"That's not what I-" Roni's voice cut off as the door was opened from the outside. The umbreon's pupils shrank at the towering figure before him.

A gallade clad in heavy armor with gold trimmings stood in the doorway. His face showed no room for nonsense, and the air around him seemed to ripple with unquestionable authority.

"Cut the games, rookies," came his low, firm tone. "I'm tasked to show you where training will be taking place. Come on, don't waste my time."

Roni and Soot's responses were the same, though tonally different.

"Yes sir!"

Whereas Roni sounded thoroughly intimidated, Soot didn't seem at all phased by the gallade's mannerisms.

The gallade led the duo out through a side entrance and into a courtyard. Two other recruits were standing there in a line.

A wartortle and a beedrill.

Alfa was sitting in front of them; momentarily oblivious to the trio approaching.

" _This... Is a lot less than I was expecting... I guess Alfa wasn't exaggerating about the lack of new faces?"_

The arcanine soon looked over and gave a warm smile.

"Gazz, Soot, Roni! Pleasured to see you all. Please, join us."

Roni and Soot sat next to the other recruits, the latter immediately engaging them in conversation.

"I'll pass," Gazz declined, waving one of his blades casually. Without another word he walked back into the castle.

Alfa momentarily stared off after him, before quickly looking back to the group.

Roni caught a hint of conflict behind the man's face.

The arcanine cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention before speaking.

"Hello there, recruits! As you already know, my name is Alfa. I've been a knight for several years, but it's my time to retire. Instead of going out fighting battles, I'll be taking care of an equally important duty."

The recruits hung on Alfa's every word, enraptured by the tale being told.

"I am here to train the next generation of knights: you all."

* * *

Roni smiled, wiping some sweat from his brow as he finally got back to his room for the day, able to rest. He pushed the door open and walked over to the bed.

Soot had stayed behind after training, by Alfa's request. It made Roni ponder what for.

He shrugged it off, deciding that whatever it was, it wouldn't be long before he found it.

The umbreon undressed from his armor. After hanging up the metal plating, Roni climbed onto the bed and pushed his snout up against the wall as he faced it, now his de facto sleeping position.

Happy to get a bit of peace and quiet, the umbreon sank into his thoughts as his eyes closed.

Just as he was about to drift to sleep, the door burst open.

"Ronikins! I'm back!" Soot sing-songed, prancing up and leaping onto the bed.

Roni jolted upright, staring at the nickit.

"Soot! You scared me!"

Soot snickered. "Hehe, sorry! I'm just excited..." she apologized, though no regret was to be found in her tone.

Roni sighed, leaning back into a more comfortable position.

"Oh yeah? What for?"

"We have our first assignment tomorrow! Us two, as a pair!" Oh! Speaking of pears, what's your favorite fruit? Mine's strawberries!"

"...I-"

"Nevermind that! Back on topic. Assignment!"

Roni sat upright once more, ears perked. His rings momentarily flared up in excitement at the prospect. He motioned for Soot to continue.

"Yeah! Apparently he wants to evaluate how we act in various circumstances so he can see what areas we need to work on and stuff..." Soot relayed, bouncing excitedly.

"C-cool... What's our assignment?"

Soot thunked her head a few times, trying to remember. Each impact was accentuated by an uncomfortable sounding smack. Roni soon grabbed the nicket's paw, halting her from doing any further... damage.

"We're just watching over and giving a tour to some important guests or something."

Roni deflated a bit, slightly disappointed.

" _Ah, that's boring... Well, hey, it's not like everything is gonna be a battle! That'd get exhausting..."_

"Who are the guests?" Roni inquired, a thoughtful pawon his chin.

"I dunno..."

"Did they tell you?"

"Yep!"

"And... you couldn't be bothered to pay attention?"

"I'm... Not too good at paying attention sometimes..." Soot looked down, mood visually deflated.


	4. Bonds

" _You're pathetic."_

_Roni looked around in confusion upon hearing those words. The dark-type sat up in bed, looking around._

_His room of residence was completely dark, without a soul to be seen. This was usually a normal thing as he'd come to figure out, yet there was one very distinct abnormality._

_Soot wasn't there._

_Roni rolled off the bed, looking around concerned. It felt as though everything was under a haze of fog, though everything remained clear._

" _You're not needed here."_

_Roni jumped in fright as he heard the voice again. He couldn't really discern any distinct traits from it; no tone, no gender, no familiarity of any sort._

_The umbreon tried to call out into the darkness, but couldn't find his voice. He felt the words come out, but there was no sound. Slightly worried, he began searching around the room for clues as to what was going on._

_The picture frames on the desk were blank, almost as if their contents had been removed. He rummaged through his bag, making sure everything was still there. It was, though when he tried to focus on any words, he couldn't read them._

" _What on earth is going on here...?" Roni thought to himself. He glanced toward the door._

_It was gone._

_Outside the frame was just darkness. Roni hesitantly started stepping towards it._

" _Leave. Run away, and never return."_

_Roni began to sweat, quivering a bit in fear. As he stepped closer and closer to the door, a strange noise began to grow louder and louder. The darkness outside soon faded, and brightened, and began to become so bright it was blinding. The odd noise became louder, louder still, deafening._

_It soon completely filled his senses, washing out any thought. It all built up, until Roni couldn't take it anymore. He screamed._

* * *

Roni let out a shrill scream as he leapt out of bed, loudly impacting the ground.

Soot's head shot up in panic, looking around frantically.

"Roni?! What's goin' on?!" The nickit hopped up, poised and ready for battle.

Roni shakily stood up. He looked around.

"Soot...? That you?" He rubbed his eyes groggily, slowly calming his rapid breathing as the situation was rendered as safe.

"Yep! That's me!" The vixen bounced over excitedly, worry gone as if a speck of sand in a flood upon seeing Roni calming down. "What were you screaming about? Was it a ghost? Oooh! Two ghosts! Who was it? Your great-great-great-grandfather who died in the Redlog Civil War?"

Roni blinked, trying to process the line of questioning.

"No, there weren't any ghosts, certainly not more than one. I just had a weird dream, and... Wait- how did you know about my great-great-great-grandfather?"

"I read your mail."

"What? I had mail? And you read it?!"

Soot just smiled innocently.

"I couldn't help myself! There wasn't even an effort to protect it! It's on the desk."

Roni took a glance over to the desk.

On it sat a letter and half-eaten loaf of bread.

Roni was about to make his way to the desk, when a clearing of a throat caught both of the pokémon's attention.

The duo looked over to see Gazz in the doorway. The gallade tapped his foot impatiently.

Roni piped up. "Oh, hey! Gazz, was it? What are you doing here?"

"That would be _Sir_ Gazz to you, novice. To answer your question, it appears the escorting isn't just a one time thing..." he grumbled, glancing annoyedly. He took a breath before carrying on. "While we _could_ be spending our time training to become stronger, the higher-ups seem to think we should be wasting it assigned to a group of tranies we escort places so that we can "build a bond with the next generation"."

Roni flinched a bit at the harsh wording, glancing to Soot who didn't seem phased.

"I'm... sorry?" he offered, hoping to remedy the situation.

Gazz huffed indifferently.

"You should be. Come on, you two have a job touring and guarding a foriegn princess. Don't mess it up."

"Y-yes sir..." Roni muttered meekly.

"Roger!" Soot exclaimed with a salute.

Roni and Soot followed Gazz's lead as he showed them to their destination.

* * *

Waiting for them in a hallway was an impatient looking sylveon, accompanied by a slightly annoyed yet worried looking chatot.

"K'tora, dear... You're a mess! You simply must come with me and brush your fur! You will not make a good impression like this!"

"Shut up! It looks _fine_ , if we take too much longer we're going to be late!"

" _Fine_ isn't good enough, young lady. If you go in there looking like a commoner, it'll dent their respect for you for sure!"

K'tora dug her claws into the ground slightly, making a high-pitched noise as she scraped the ground.

"Why don't _YOU_ show me some respect for once, G'ok? For once, just trust my judgement instead of fighting me on everything!"

G'ok's face puffed up in anger, the chatot taking flight and getting right in K'tora's face.

"You, young lady, have zero idea how much I do for you! If I didn't respect you, I would have stopped trying to help you long ago! If I didn't respect you, then your mother-"

"DO NOT talk about mom!" K'tora shouted, stamping forward. G'ok stood her ground (or rather, flew her air), not backing down.

Gazz rolled his eyes.

"Calm it, ladies. Your escorts are here."

The pair immediately halted the quickly brewing fight, staring at the arriving group in panic. They quickly assumed more professional positions, playing it off as if nothing happened.

"O-oh! Uh... Our sincerest apologies, sire," G'ok offered, bowing respectfully. After a not-so-subtle nudge from the chatot, K'tora reluctantly took a similar stance.

Gazz didn't make another word, simply turning and walking off.

Roni stood dumbfounded at the previous few moments, while Soot didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

G'ok nodded to K'tora, before flying off to take care of business elsewhere.

Roni quickly bowed.

"Y-your highness! Pleasure to meet you."

Soot noticed this, and bowed as well, giggling all the while.

K'tora blinked, holding an impressively deadpan expression.

"No need for the formality. Call me Tor."

Roni quickly adjusted his posture, stiffening up.

"R-right! Sorry, y- Tor..."

Soot sprung forward, hugging K'tora tightly. The sylveon just stood there awkwardly.

"Uh, yeah. What are your names?"

"I'm Soot!"

"Roni..."

"Cool names, nice to meet you all."

Roni relaxed a bit, easing into conversation.

"Thank you. Yours is very nice as well," he offered. Soot nodded in agreement.

K'tora just shrugged, casually leaning against a wall.

"So, what do we do? You know, while I wait on my meeting time?"

Roni looked to Soot, unable to answer.

The nickit's smile brightened to the intensity of the sun.

"Let's go into town and grab some food!"

Roni smiled a bit too, though a bit weakly.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

"Sure thing," K'tora replied.

The trio began their walk out of the castle, conversing all the while.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," K'tora pondered. "You're telling me that this leafeon was wearing a sunhat? Wouldn't that interfere with photosynthesis...?"

"Yeah, I don't quite see how that makes sense..." Roni agreed.

Soot let out a small laugh.

"Oh, you guys! It makes perfect sense! Anyway, we're here! What are you guys gonna get? Soup? Salad? Wait... Salad soup!" Soot ran full speed up to the street vendor's stand.

The raichu working it was conversing with a gardevoir customer, when suddenly he jumped back in shock from a face full of nickit.

"Hey there, Mr. Gumbo!"

The raichu regained his composure, giving a friendly smile.

"Hey there, Soot. I presume you want a soup salad as per usual?"

"Nope!" Soot snickered. "I wanna try a salad soup this time."

"Okay... What about your friends here?"

K'tora was the first to speak up.

"Just a salad, please."

"Me too!" Roni interjected.

Gumbo nodded, beginning to prepare the requested food.

"All right, that'll be fifteen poké."

K'tora tossed a small bag of gold coins onto the stand, eliciting a shocked gasp from Gumbo.

"Keep the change."

Roni zoned out a bit, stiffening up as he watched. He was jostled from the brief state by a poking at his side.

"Roni, you seem on edge. Are you feeling all right?" a familiar voice said.

Roni looked over, seeing the gardevoir Gumbo was conversing with kneeled at his side.

"O-oh! Varily! I didn't realize it was you." he gave a weak smile. "I'm... fine."

The gardevoir put a hand to his forehead, giving a soothing touch.

"Are you sure? You seem troubled."

Roni knew he felt stressed, but he couldn't exactly place his paw on it. He decided to sit there and think for a bit.

What was troubling him?

It was then, the answer came at him like a brick to the face.

" _I miss family... And maybe that weird dream is having an effect too... Is that really what's bugging me? Am I that weak?"_ he thought to himself

"Family, bad dreams... Those are all justified things to be concerned about, Roni. Do not fret."

The umbreon looked on confused for a moment.

"...Oh! Yeah, psychic. Kinda forgot you could do that..." Roni muttered sheepishly. "I-I'm fine. Really! Don't worry."

Varily gave a nod, holding an understanding smile.

"Very well. If you ever decide you need to talk, I live near the edge of town."

"Right... Thank you..."

Varily gave him a reassuring pat on the head before walking off.

Roni looked over to the stand. K'tora was deep in conversation with Gumpo, and Soot was gone. He walked over to them.

"Hey, where'd Soot go?"

K'tora looked around upon hearing the question, then simply shrugged.

"I dunno..." she then looked back to Gumpo. "Hey, it was a nice talk but we gotta get going. Thanks for the grub." She then left her finished food, giving Roni his salad as they began to walk off.

"See you later," Gumpo replied.

Roni simply observed his company in silence as he ate his salad.

" _I have to admit,"_ Roni thought, " _there's something distinctly... alluring about her."_

He couldn't make heads or tails of the sylveon. Her regal posture contrasted her messy and matted fur. Her casual wording conflicted the aura of importance surrounding her. The laid back attitude she gave was in defiance of her royal background.

She was different from anyone Roni had ever encountered. Very much an enigma.

He was beginning to appreciate that.

"You gonna say something or just gawk at me forever?" K'tora questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Oh! S-sorry, your hi- I mean uh.. Sorry, Tor."

"No problem, dude."

Roni thought to himself for a while about what to say.

"So, uh... That G'ok person... You two aren't on the best of terms I take it?"

The look on K'tora's face turned to one of part-disgust, part-loathing, all-unappreciating.

"Oh, don't even get me started on the old feather brain. She's such a stick in the mud! All I ever want to do is have a bit of fun for once, but she always makes me do _boring_ stuff."

Roni nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I can understand how you'd dislike that. My life was pretty boring up until I became a knight. This has been the most eventful past few days of my life."

"At least you actually found something to do. Unfortunately, I'm bound by obligation to my royal duties. And even in my small amount of spare time, no one will even be friends with me, because " _I'm the princess"_ and " _they're unworthy of my royal presence"_. Load of bull if you ask me."

Roni gave her a reassuring smile.

"Well, I enjoy talking to you. I'll be your friend if you want."

K'tora stopped, surprised.

"Really? You mean that? You'd... be my friend?"

"Yeah."

The sylveon stood there, processing the information for a while.

"Thank you, Roni... It means a lot to me."

The umbreon gave a nod in response.

"Yeah... I guess we could write to each other when you head back home, eh?"

K'tora nodded.

"Yeah. I'd like that." It was at that moment, a familiar voice called out to her.

"K'tora! My, what are you still doing out here? You're going to be late for your meeting!" G'ok chided as she flew over, panic overtaking her face.

K'tora took a step back.

"Oh, shoot! Sorry, G'ok! Hey, I'll see you later, Roni!"

"O-oh! Bye..."

The sylveon took off running, her chatot companion flying behind.

Roni stood in place, simply watching, contemplating.

" _I've made so many friends so far... Maybe coming out here wasn't a mistake after all."_


	5. Corrispondance 1

The next few hours after his new friend's departure were spent by Roni in search of Soot. The nickit, however, proved very elusive.

The search dragged to a halt when the umbreon had heard a familiar voice from around a corner. Nay, a _pair_ of familiar voices.

Roni peaked around a corner, curiously, trying his best to stay hidden,

"You know that you weren't supposed to do that. I have absolutely no reason not to report you," Gazz spat, in a tone cold as steel dripping with venom. He glared daggers into the smaller pokémon's cowering figure, before continuing. "Go on, then. Explain yourself. It's in your best interest that you are _very_ convincing."

Soot flinched back from the verbal onslaught.

"Well, you see, I- uh..." the usually chipper vixen took a step away.

Roni looked on, conflicted. The umbreon wanted to intervene, but something inside held him back.

Fear.

The more experienced knight was intimidating as is, but even more so when he managed to dent Soot's seemingly impenetrable positivity.

Gazz huffed indignantly with a fold of his arms.

"I see, eh? Well, what do I see? I'll tell you what; a worthless slacker. Even that 'friend' of yours had the sense to stay on task." The gallade paced back and forth with a disapproving gaze, cold enough to nearly liquefy the air around them. "What if something had happened to the princess, and you weren't there to help? That umbreon may be equally incapable as you, but you two would at _least_ be able to stall a potential threat together."

Soot began to tear up and could only muster quiet murmurs.

"I...-"

"You're a failure." Gazz knelt down, leaning right into the fox's face. "I'm not going to report you. It's hardly worth my time. I suggest you just quit on your own; spare yourself the embarrassment of messing up again, potentially in a bigger way that warrants a report."

Without another word, the gallade turned and walked away.

Hardly a moment later, Roni rushed to Soot's side.

* * *

It was late. Or, early, rather. Roni slowly awoke with a yawn, rubbing his eyes.

The umbreon slowly slid out of bed without waking Soot, making his way over to the desk in the pitch black room. He illuminated his rings just enough to see in front of him, then fishing out his journal and quill. Dabbling it in the ink jar, he thought for a moment before an idea struck.

* * *

_5/19/21X1_

_Dear Princess K'tora,_

_Hello, it's Roni here in written form! It's a bit funny to me that I'm writing this just the same day you left. Guess I just already miss you, eh?_

_Sorry I wasn't able to see you off. Something came up, Soot and I ended up turning in early._

_Turns out Gazz was berating her about ditching duty. I never thought I would see her cry, but there it happened. A surprise to be sure, but not a welcome one. While Gazz_ was _quite rude in his explanation, there wasn't much we could do or say about it; he was right in his criticism._

_Turns out Soot just saw her brother and wanted to say hi. Then they got distracted, started talking, all that stuff. Charming, if I do say so myself._

_We ended up going to bed early, since our day had been a bit tiring. After a nice dinner of soup, Soot seemed right back to her normal self. I really wish her normal self was a bit less... colorful, but I'm glad she's all right nonetheless._

_I keep finding myself waking up in the middle of the night, worried, needing to write to take my mind off things. Guess it helps that I have someone to actually converse with now. Well, rather someone to write something to, then wait a while for a response._

_How are things on your end? Did the negotiations go well? How's that chatot treating you? Hope to see you soon! It's getting late, I should get to bed._

_Your friend, Roni_

* * *

Roni awoke with a scream the next morning, sweating profusely.

Soot, who had been resting her head on his side, let out a shout of her own from the sudden loud noise.

"Gosh, Roni!" she complained, "You scream like a girl!" The nickit rubbed her sensitive ears, still ringing from the shrill noise.

"Ah, s-sorry, Soot... I-I just had a nightmare again, is all..."

"Wait! _Are_ you a girl?" The prior feelings of pain now ignored, Soot got directly in his face, looking at the umbreon curiously.

"W-what?"

"Well, _are_ you? You never actually told me! Wow, lemme tell ya', I probably should have noticed it sooner! You aren't exactly very _masculine_..."

Roni blinked in response.

"I'm... not a girl, Soot."

"Prove it!"

* * *

Gazz reached his bladed hand out to knock on the door, deciding that his "friends" were probably awake judging by what he presumed to be the nickit screaming about something. He was about to knock, when he heard the muffled voices. Curiously, he lowered his hand and pressed his head against the door.

" _W-what?"_

" _Go on, lift that tail! Show me what you got going on down there!"_

Face scrunched up in bemusement, knocking harshly on the door.

"Hey! It's duty time, you degenerates! I'm coming in!"

* * *

Roni blushed brightly, staring at the door, as Soot just giggled.

"Hah, he said duty! Like, like poop!"

The umbreon simply sighed, shaking his head, rushing over to the door to greet the gallade who had just opened it.

"Gazz, it's not what it seems like! I-"

"Look, I don't care. Just keep whatever _that_ was to your free time. Come on, today's battle training."

* * *

_5/22/21X1_

_Dear Roni,_

_Thanks for contacting me. Means a lot dude. Admittedly I miss you a bit too._

_Don't worry about not seeing me before I left. With what happened with Soot, it's understandable._

_Who's Gazz? I don't think I've met anyone by that name. He doesn't sound very pleasant. Maybe he's just stressed about something?_

_I can understand turning in early, but I'd recommend not making a habit of it. You already wake up in the middle of the night as it is, I can't imagine sleeping early would help solve that. On that note, I'm happy that I'm able to somewhat help with your sleep problem._

_Things are doing okay here. I'm not too upset about anything, and there's no issues to solve. Except, that is, for one._

_The negotiations were pretty shit, to put it bluntly. No one seemed to be able to agree on anything, and I can tell that tensions are only rising._

_I could have been able to simmer things down a bit, but no. My dad, in all of his royal_ genius, _told me not to back down under any circumstance._

 _We could have been able to come to a settlement on the land issue if I were to just give up a tiny bit of unsettled territory near the border. Apparently, giving up not even one-percent of our vast territory was just too big of a blow that we simply_ can't _afford to an allied nation in need._

_Though, my father was right about one thing._

_The negotiations_ were _short._

_The chatot you mention is Go'k. Bit of a bitch if I'm being honest, constantly nagging about something. Can't say I don't respect her dedication, though. She has never given up on trying to accomplish her goals, and I can admire that._

_Aside, from that little incident, how's the whole "knight" thing treating you so far? I'd imagine at least_ something _interesting has happened since you sent the letter, no? How are you and Soot doing?_

_From, Tor_

* * *

K'tora lounged back in her chair, sighing deeply before shouting.

"Yo, Biwell'! Get in here, dude."

The sylveon looked expectantly towards the grand door to her bedroom, as it slowly creaked open.

The snout of a vulpix slowly peaked in, followed by its eyes. The fox slunk into the room, maintaining low posture, never daring to look at the princess.

"Y-yes, y-y-your majesty...?"

"Just Tor is fine, dude."

"I'm sorry! I'm s-so sorry!" Biwell exclaimed, bowing low to the ground, shivering.

"Relax, dude. I just wanted you to take a letter to the post office for me." K'tora stared at him. She leaned away slightly, a forepaw raised hesitantly. "Are... are you okay?"

Biwell shot up, punctuated with a shout of "I'm fine!" He continued breathing heavily, sweat pooling around his paws.

"You sure, kid? Seems like you've seen a ghost."

"I-I j-just... I d-don't want to o-offend you, your highness..."

K'tora released an audible groan.

"Ah, _that_. Don't worry about it, I wouldn't even care if you spilled a drink on me."

"B-but..."

K'tora stamped a forepaw on the ground, eliciting a startled squeal from Biwell. "I'm a PERSON, just like everyone else! Why can't anyone understand that?! Treat me like you would anyone else!" K'tora shouted, leering menacingly.

Now fully sobbing, Biwell ran out of the room.

A sudden pang of regret nailed the princess, as she held out a forepaw.

"W-wait! Biwell!" she called after him.

No response.

" _What did I do wrong...?"_ K'tora thought to herself, gazing shamefully into the mirror.

* * *

_5/26/21X1_

_Dear Princess K'tora,_

_Hello, how's it going?_

_To answer your question Gazz is the gallade that dropped Soot and I off. Doesn't seem to care about others very much from what I've seen, but I suppose you should never judge a book by its cover, eh? I really only see him in the mornings, maybe he just isn't a morning person... I'll try to talk to him about it next time I'm free. I know some people aren't super thrilled for their sleep to be interrupted._

_On the topic of sleep, I've actually been having these weird nightmares recently._

_I'm always in my room, but everything seems... Different. Empty. Gone. All that's there is a strange sort of figure telling me that I don't belong, and I should leave. It's very unnerving, even though it's just a dream._

_I've been having them nearly every morning, now._

_I'm sorry to hear that the negotiations haven't gone super well for you. I'm no expert in politics, but it seems pretty stressful._

_If there's anything to do, just let me know. I have a sort of... high-class background. Details don't matter too much, but the point is, my family has some connections._

_The whole knight thing is... tough, to say the least. Training is hard. I'm not nearly as fit as everyone else was coming in, I guess that came from my sort of pampered past. It's hard, but I'm making progress._

_Soot's actually doing pretty well, all things considered. I honestly wouldn't expect someone that small to be that strong, but she could beat a lot of the other trainees in one-on-one._

_In terms of exciting events, not much. Just an awkward situation one morning, involving some... misinterpretation._

_How are you holding up? Anything interesting happened on your end?_

_Your friend, Roni_

* * *

"Come _on_ , Roni! There's gonna be lots of yummy food, rum, games, rum, oh- did I mention _RUM_?!" Soot excitedly babbled as she rapidly bounced up and down on the soft black surface.

The soft black surface let out a grunt, scribbling something down onto a sheet of paper.

"T-that's nice, Soot. You can just go alone, though."

"But _why_? There will be _LOTS_ of new pokémon to meet! I really want you to come with me!"

"That's exactly the-..." He sighed in defeat, placing his quill down. " _Fine_. If it really means that much to you, I guess I'll go."

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!"

Soot wrapped her forelegs around Roni's neck in a hug. The umbreon couldn't help but crack a smile, scritching behind the nickit's ears, earning a tiny trill.

"Anything for a friend, I suppose." Roni picked up the letter he was writing, following his partner out of the room.

" _I'll just mail this on the way..."_


	6. Reflection

Roni awoke with a shout.

Well, it would have been a shout, had it not been stifled by nickit paw.

"Good morning, Roni-kins! Sleep well?" Soot greeted with a smile. She only received muffled grunts in response. Confused, she tilted her head, her smile still plastered. "You're talking funny!" She kneaded her claws a bit as she shuffled in place, earning a yelp and a bite. Yipping loudly, Soot pulled her paw away before. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot my paw was there..."

Roni rolled his eyes in exasperation, but couldn't prevent a smile from lacing his features.

"You're fine," he stated simply, pulling the now-giggling fox into a hug.

"Anyway, I'm gonna be away for most of the day. You're welcome to come with me, though," Soot explained, returning the hug happily.

"I'd love to, buddy. Got nothing better to do."

It was then that Soot had a thought.

"Say... Why do you keep having all these nightma-"

A third voice inturrupted from behind the door.

"If you two are done having fun in there, I've got a package," deadpanned Gazz, clearly not wanting to be there.

"Package? Who from?!" Soot bounced in place excitedly.

No response.

Roni went over and opened the door, to reveal no gallade in site, but there was the package as promised.

It was unlabeled. Roni stared at it confused.

"Who's it for?"

"Let's open it and find out!"

Roni stepped back as the bouncy nickit leapt over and started opening the package.

Digging inside it, she soon pulled out a golden watch.

"Huh, neat little trinket..." Roni commented.

The umbreon stepped closer, looking more inside the package. Nothing in there to indicate who it was from, or who it was meant for. Just empty space.

"It's so neat, Roni! And shiny! May I keep it?"

Roni just shrugged, looking on as the nickit slipped the time-telling device around her wrist.

"I don't know who it's meant for. Not my place to say no, I suppose."

"Woah, rad!" Soot exclaimed, looking down at the watch in glee. "I _loooove_ shiny things..."

* * *

The liepard paced around the throne room angrily. G'ok simply looked on in sympathy to the king's currently unknown plights.

"G'ok... I hope you understand how grave this situation is."

"I'm afraid I don't, my lord."

The dark-type came to a halt, slumping over the side of his throne with a sigh. He gazed out the large stained glass mural above the seat, towering in size.

The green light of the full moon shone in through the window, tinted and refracted around the room creating a dim light. The colored panes seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow, the captured light reflected in just the right way to highlight the important areas of the scene depicted.

The ornate designs of the golden frame contrasted the brilliant simplicity of the window itself.

Panes of glass were pieced together in a simple depiction. Pointy, stylized figures of numerous pokémon surrounded two figures placed directly in the middle.

A blue-eyed zorua stood with a ponyta, the latter's pink and blue mane shimmering in the moonlight. Both bore crowns of unique designs, touched together as they stared into each other's eyes.

A heart floated above them glowing faintly in the moonlight, seeming to briefly glow brighter, then dark once more in a regular pulsing pattern.

The king gestured with a paw up to the artistic wonder, gazing to G'ok with regret in his eyes.

"Do you know what this window represents, G'ok?"

The chatot tilted her head, eyes narrowing as she gazed closer.

"It's a beautiful work of art. Two lovers, I presume?"

"That is true, but..." The liepard climbed up to the top of his throne, putting a paw against the window. "...It's so much more than that." He sat against the wall, staring up at it. His sad gaze took on a more bittersweet tone.

"Is it? Would you care to elaborate?"

"Come here. You're gonna want to get comfortable for this, it's a bit of a long story." The chatot flew over upon the request, the king gently nestling her into his lap. "You see, the zorua in that picture was my great, great grandfather...

Long ago, he was the ruler of the kingdom. Back then, the kingdom was far more vast than it is right now.

"My grandfather was a ruthless warlord, to put it bluntly. He was a tactical genius, playing everyone into his hands to gain more and more power. Day in, day out, he always aspired to gain more land, and more pokémon to do his bidding.

"That was all, until one day he met that ponyta up there. She was a prisoner, a lone queen captured during one of his many successful conquests. He came down to the dungeons to do his typical gloating, break her spirits.

"To his surprise, she wasn't at all upset, but understanding. She could understand his lust for power, his ever-growing desire for more. To fill his appetite that would never be satisfied.

"For this, she pitied him. She felt sorry that he was that way. That was enough to enrage him. He stormed off, leaving her alone.

"Day after day, he'd come back down to try to convince her that he didn't need pity and that he had no reason to stop his conquest. Until, that is, one day on his way down he had a thought.

"What if, just what if, he were to listen? Heed her words?

"He sat, and he listened. He began to understand what he was doing. All the pokémon he's hurt, himself included. What kind of life was it to live if you were never happy with what you had?

"It was that day forward that he began to relinquish his iron grip on the territories and stopped using others for his benefit. He grew thankful toward the queen. Thankful, respectful, and soon fell madly in love. She had grown to feel the same, of course.

"The wedding was a large one. The two rulers joined together, kingdoms unified. It was a symbol of ultimate peace. It was from that day forward, the king made a vow.

"He would forever keep peace in his land. It would be a virtue to be held sacred, and never broken. A virtue that is very important to my family. A virtue that was never broken.

"That was, of course, until today. Today, when we received a declaration of war.

"I was so blinded by smug confidence, that I forgot to follow the virtue I hold most dear. I didn't let my demands budge, and for that I pay the ultimate price.

"There's no going back now. I have to fight. I can't remain peaceful, lest my kingdom fall and my citizens perish under the wrath of an angered legion of hostile pokémon. " The king looked up at the mural once more, regretfully reflecting on his actions.


	7. On to Fight for Glory

"Get out of bed, now!" came the loud voice of Gazz, accompanied with the door being slammed open.

Roni gasped as he was startled awake, Soot giving a similar reaction. The two stared at the gallade in confusion. It was then that Roni saw a crack in what he thought to be the older knight's three exclusive emotional states: anger, disappointment, and indignance.

Of course, the typical pride flowed from Gazz in great rivers, but beneath all of that was an ounce of fear. Gazz was scared of... something. Roni blinked, a trickle of dread slowly beginning to pour into his stomach. There was also a trickle of sweat trailing down onto his snout. Whether from heat or tension, he hadn't a clue. Probably a mixture of both.

"W-what's wrong?" the umbreon ventured, unsure if he should be pressing this boundary.

Striding over confidently, Gazz rested his hand on Roni and Soot's shoulders. The umbreon looked up into the gallade's eyes, finding there a small trace of pity. This was soon replaced by his typical stern demeanor as he cleared his throat.

"Look here, kiddos. Play-time is over," he started, beginning to pace back and forth. "Hate to break it to you, but your training is going to be cut short. We're headed to war! Normally we wouldn't take rookies," he paused his speech to punctuate, shooting the pair glares. "...but we're heading out far. Very, very far. We're going to need as many fighters out there as possible to minimize transport time and costs for both more fighters and supplies. Any questions?"

Roni found himself stunned into silence.

Soot was the first to pipe up.

"Where are we headed?"

"To the western border. We're set to invade some of their outskirt villages before they have time to react. It won't be much, but we'll at least have a bit of a foothold to kick-off from hopefully."

Gazz then turned to Roni.

"Uh... A-are we gonna die?"

"...Possibly."

Roni began to pale slightly at the thought, stiffening up. Soot didn't seem to be bothered, bouncing excitedly by him.

Gazz just sighed.

"Look, kid. You knew what you were signing on for, you knew the risks. I wouldn't respect you any less if you backed out now, but I'll respect you a whole lot more if you man up and fight for the kingdom. Our kingdom."

Roni sighed, nodding his head.

"...You're right, Gazz. When do we leave, and how are we getting there?"

"We leave by train, just before sunset today. Pack your things."

With all needing to be said having been put on the table, Gazz left the room.

The umbreon just sat there for a moment, a feeling of dread slowly forming in his stomach.

Soot, for her part, also began to lose her typical vigor as the realization set in. Pinning her ears back, she looked around. Taking a deep breath, she put her smile back on.

"Roni. Try not to worry too much, okay? Even if we aren't trained yet, we can probably still train on the train! Train train! Train!" she began to bounce up and down. "Oh, did I mention that I love trains?!"

"I just hope what little we get will be good enough..." Roni replied, before sighing. "Let's just pack our stuff so we have the rest of the day to kill time however."

Soot nodded, soon hopping up to pack what little belongings she'd accumulated.

She stuffed a few nick-nacks into her tail, as well as nick' snacks. Small chunks of bread were her favorite.

Roni stuffed all he had laying on his desk into his bag. Quill, notebook, and a couple letters.

Unopened letters.

He stared at the envelopes in mild guilt, biting his lip slightly. His family had been sending him letters fairly frequently.

He hadn't read a single one. He was a bit nervous about what they may contain, and now that he'd been ignoring them so long he assumed they'd only get angrier, and more worried.

Gulping, he slid the letters inside, below all of his other belongings.

"Ignorance is bliss," he tried to convince himself. He was able to swallow any feelings of guilt for the time being, shoving thoughts of his family to the back of his mind.

Trying to change the subject within his mind, he posed a question that had laid dormant for a while.

"Yo, Soot?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you use your tail as a bag?"

"Well, it's convenient! Come look at all the stuff I can fit in here!"

Nervously, Roni wandered open and hesitantly parted the vixen's tail.

Various things were kept within, including some that Roni knew for certain did not belong to his nickit friend a few days ago.

"What's Mr. Gumbo's bronze soup ladle doing in here, Soot?"

The nickit in question scrunched up her snout, flushing a bit in embarrassment.

"Oh, uhm... I asked for it," Soot offered, waving a forepaw.

"...Did he let you have it?"

"No..."

"So you lied to me, then?" Roni leaned in, an eyebrow raised.

Soot simply grinned, shaking her head.

"Nope! I asked! I just didn't listen to the answer."

Roni sighed, shaking his head.

"We're knights, Soot. We aren't supposed to steal things; that makes you a bad role-model!"

"Sorry! I won't do it again, promise! I just feel compelled to swipe sometimes, you know?"

The umbreon shook his head.

"Okay... That aside, anything else you need to pack?"

"Nope!"

With a nod, Roni continued. "All right, then. Let's head out and do something while we still have a few hours."

* * *

A large group of knights as well as normal citizens stood, waiting to board the train.

It was jet black for the most parts, with golden accents. The train was a sight to behold.

It boasted a state-of-the-art engine that could carry it at blazing speeds across the country side.

It was graced with an extravagant five-star kitchen, headed by some of the most gifted chefs of the generation.

The train was largely composed of a whopping twenty cabin cars, all with three luxurious rooms each.

Tickets for the train were one of the most prized items in Redlog, a single one costing upwards of one-thousand poké for a there and back trip. Only a select few were able to get their hands on a legendary lifetime ticket.

To top it all off, every single knight in attendance got to board for free, no catch.

Soot was ecstatic, to say the least. Roni, for his part, had lost every ounce of trepidation upon learning of the conditions they'd be travelling in.

About 60% of the pokémon boarding for that trip were knights, or other important battlefield workers, as they had taken priority over citizens due to the circumstances.

They were barely able to get that many personnel a spot on the train. The cabins reserved for the knights and such were going to be packed with four pokémon per room, with one or two exceptions. By Roni's best estimate by the numbers given, there would be roughly fifty pokémon heading out for war.

"This is too good to be true, Soot... Can you believe this?" Roni asked, gawking in awe at the locomotive before him. Upon hearing no reply, he looked around. "Uh... Soot?"

The nickit in question was at a gift shop, looking quickly between the train and a smaller model version of it with excitement clear in her face. Her tail swished uncontrollably, at one point accidentally launching out a chunk of bread.

Roni chuckled to himself, shaking it off. They wouldn't be boarding for another five minutes, so he was content to let Soot enjoy herself.

The crowd around him was loud. Almost deafeningly so. It seemed almost everyone was excited for the trip, barring a few more classy seeming pokémon that likely just saw this as part of their weekly routine.

Before long, it was time to board. Roni shuffled past the crowd as best he could, finding Soot. He began pulling her away and onto the train.

"Roni...! It's so expensive, but I want it! Oh..." She pouted as she looked on behind the display case, slowly disappearing as they boarded the train.

Roni gave Soot an assuring hug.

"Hey, tell you what: If we make it out of this alive, I'll get that for you."

Soot gasped in surprise, excitement returning to her features.

"Really?! You'd do that for me?!"

"Of course. Barely a dent in my pockets."

"You're the best!" she exclaimed, hugging him tight. Roni returned the embrace, chuckling lightly.

"I'm pretty okay, I suppose."

Soot then let go. The pair looked around in awe, taking in their surroundings.

The hallway they were in was made of a cozy wood, with an almost golden hue given to it by the lamps on the ceiling. It smelled of pine. There was a long red carpet rolled along the length of the car.

"Okay, we're in car three, cabin B. Got that?" Roni asked, taking a glance at Soot.

She nodded with a smile.

"You bet!"

"Great, then let's go."

The pair traveled along the car. Roni shuddered lightly. The carpeting was incredibly soft under his pads, giving much needed relief from the built up joint tension he didn't even know he had. He took a look out the windows at the station briefly, before passing to the next car. After one more car and one room, they finally made it to theirs.

The door labeled "Cabin B" was made of a darker wood than the rest of the car, with fancy patterns engraved into it. The hinges and door knob were made of solid gold.

Car three had green carpeting instead of red, as part of a color coding system to make knowing where you were easier. Roni turned the knob, holding the door open for Soot as they walked in.

Inside were their two cabin mates, chilling on a bunk-bed.

Gazz was one of them, not a surprise there. The other was a bit more confusing, though.

"Varily?" Roni asked, gaining the pairs attention.

Gazz soon looked away, mildly annoyed. Varily gave a warm smile.

"Roni, Soot! Pleased to share a room with you two."

Roni closed the door, walking up to the bunk-bed.

"I didn't know you were a knight."

The gardevoir in question shook her head with a smile.

"Not a knight, per say. I'm put on medical duty. My brother here does the fighting," she explained, gesturing to Gazz.

Soot bounced up and down in excitement.

"Oh! Gazz is your bro?!"

The gallade rolled his eyes.

"Do we really have to share a room with them, Vares'?"

Varely gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

"Oh, they aren't so bad. Just give them a chance! You'll warm up to them sooner or later."

"As if..." Gazz turned over, facing the window that was aligned with the top bunk.

Varely laid down as well, back to her brother.

"Ah, don't let him kill your mood, you two. Just enjoy yourselves while we're still able to relax."

Roni and Soot both nodded, climbing into the bottom bunk. Roni laid with his back to the wall, Soot hopping up with him.

"Roni, look! They have blankets!" she exclaimed, pulling the covers over both her and Roni.

The umbreon smiled in return, hugging his friend.

"I missed these."

From the top bunk, Varely piped up.

"Gazz and I are going to take a small nap before supper is served in a couple hours. You two don't have to, but please don't be too loud if you stay up. That okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yup!"

The gardevoir smiled, closing her eyes as she laid her head down on the pillow.

Roni turned his attention back to the nickit.

"A quick nap before dinner doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'm a bit beat from all the worrying today. How about it, Soot?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Without another word, the two embraced lightly as they slowly fell into a shallow sleep.

* * *

As Roni slowly came to, he rubbed some of the sleep out of his eyes with a yawn. He glanced out the window.

It had became dark, numerous stars populating the sky, the black canvas painting with subtle hues of dark blue near the horizon. The full moon shone brightly, faintly illuminating the treetops of the slowly thinning forest as the train quickly chugged onto more arid territories.

He slipped out of bed, making his way to a desk in the corner of the room.

Unpacking his writing supplies, he began.

* * *

"Entry 2

I found myself simultaneously nervous, dreadful, and excited as I boarded the Redhorse Express earlier today.

It's complicated. By the largest probability, I'm essentially taking a luxury ride to my own demise. It's kind of hard to be upset when I'm on such a nice train, and even harder when my friend Soot is around.

I find myself oddly put at ease despite track piece by track piece, tree by tree, growing ever closer to my first experience with war. While I'm certainly not feeling as stressed, there's still lingering feelings weighing down on me.

I feel bad about not responding to my family. I miss them, they probably miss me, but somehow I'm scared to say anything. I don't quite understand why. They'll likely want to know that I'm potentially going to die, so I will be sure to write once we arrive at the station.

Another thing on my mind is the nightmares. They keep happening, inconsistently. I can't tell if there's a pattern. They don't seem to happen on weekends, but sometimes that rule is broken? They're getting worse and worse over time. I don't know if anything is trying to be communicated...

"Leave," "You're not welcome here," "Give up while you still have a chance," all things I now hear at nauseum nearly every night of my life.

That's not my biggest worry, though.

I've been thinking about K'tora all day. I know she's mentioned that our kingdoms aren't on the best terms, but... is that really enough to spark a war? Is her kingdom even the one we're going to war with, or is it a completely separate one? All things I won't have answers to for the time being...

I guess I have more than one letter to send."

* * *

Roni put his journal down just as the others began to wake up. There were mixed reactions and greetings as everyone shuffled their way out to the food car.

The car was long with red and white tiled floor. The walls on the sides of the car were made of a sturdy glass, giving a great view of the night time scenery.

The train was passing through the mountains, and would likely arrive in the deserts by morning if pace kept up.

The group dispersed, Roni and Soot choosing to sit separately from their cabin-mates.

They sat across from each other at a small wooden table, as the waitress came up to greet them.

It was a fennekin. She had extremely well groomed fur, and a neat little bow tie around her neck.

Roni blushed a bit, unable to help himself.

"Wow," he thought, "she's cute..."

"Hello there, you two!" The fennekin greeted with a smile. "What will you be having tonight? We've got some lovely soup in bread bowls as the main dish."

The pair at the table hushedly discussed it for a bit, before Roni turned back. His face flushed even more as he looked the fennekin directly in the eyes.

"W-w-we'll have t-two of those... Miss..."

"Riley!" the fennekin finished, with a small bow and a grin. "My name is Riley."

"I'm R-R-Roni..."

"They call me Soot!"

Riley gave a small giggle, before turning to walk off.

"A pleasure to meet you two. I'll be back within a half hour with your food."

"Thank you!" Soot cheered, Roni nodding along.

Roni turned to look at Soot, but caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.

It looked as if someone was running alongside the train, but almost as soon as he looked it was gone.

"Meh," he thought, "probably nothing."


End file.
